NEW YORK – Oft-injured Phillies outfielder Roman Quinn is down again, but not necessarily out.
An X-ray revealed a non-displaced fracture in the little toe on his right foot. Quinn suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning Wednesday night in Miami. He did not play in Friday night's game against the Mets and was out of the starting lineup again Saturday night.
But that doesn't mean Quinn won't play at some point.
Manager Gabe Kapler said the fracture was "very, very small," and that Quinn would still be available for duty depending on how he feels.
"It's still tender to walk on," Kapler said. "We're going to be smart about protecting him. We have every assurance that this injury is a tolerance issue and when he's ready to play, he's good to go."
Quinn was not available for comment before Saturday night's game.
In July, Cesar Hernandez suffered a small fracture in one of his toes when he fouled a ball off his foot. He sat out a couple of games, but never went on the disabled list. The injury was managed as he played through it.
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"Like Cesar, it was just a tolerance thing," Kapler said. "He was down for a little bit and then it was just tolerance."
For competitive reasons, Kapler would not reveal what situations he believed Quinn could still contribute.
Quinn has made a strong impact since joining the club from the minors in late July. He is hitting .338 with 10 extra-base hits and a .369 on-base percentage in 80 at-bats.
The 25-year-old outfielder is blessed with dazzling athleticism and potential, but injuries have severely hampered him. He has missed time over the years with a torn Achilles tendon, a torn left quadriceps, a concussion, a strained elbow ligament and, most recently, with a torn ligament in his right middle finger that required surgery in May.
